Now & Then

Supreme Court Scandals: A Story of Justice

Heather and Joanne discuss the contentious issue of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s financial ties to billionaire and conservative activist Harlan Crow. They also look at three earlier conflict-of-interest controversies involving Supreme Court justices: Samuel Chase’s 1804 impeachment over his pronounced Federalist leanings, Stephen J. Field’s 1880s relationships with railroad magnates, and Abe Fortas’ 1969 resignation following the revelation of his acceptance of consulting fees from a felonious financier. 

Is it ethical for professors to accept gifts from their students? Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history

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For references &amp; supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/supreme-court-scandals-a-story-of-justice/

Now &amp; Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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How can the past help inform today’s most pressing challenges? Every Wednesday, award-winning historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman use their encyclopedic knowledge of US history to bring the past to life. Together, they make sense of the week in news by discussing the people, ideas, and events that got us here today. Now and Then is produced by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.